“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”
I Chronicles 10: 13,14
As described above, King Saul did not end well. He was wounded in battle and finished himself off by suicide. He who was once small in his own eyes became proud, jealous (of David), fearful, and disobedient. He lost his life and his right to the throne because of it.
What God demanded of Saul is no less than what he requires of us—faithfulness. Saul got desperate and allowed pride and fear to influence his decisions. The event that led to his downfall was when Samuel was delayed in returning to Saul to present the burnt offering to the Lord, and the people began to scatter from Saul. Taking matters into his own hands Saul rushed to perform the sacrifice himself, a violation of God’s command. When questioned by Samuel about his actions Saul said that he “felt compelled”.
What compels you? Is it pride? Fear? Insecurity? Riches? If you are feeling compelled to do something perhaps you need to stop quickly and ask yourself: Why do I feel compelled to make this decision? The peace of God should rule your heart in every decision you make. Emotions can drive you to make the wrong decisions. When the pressure is on to do something, do all you can to first seek the Lord and get His peace. More often than not, when your emotions or some other weakness of your flesh is driving you, you will make the wrong decision which could end up deadly in some form or another.
Saul’s biggest mistake is that he did not seek the Lord but a medium (witchdoctor). You might not be tempted to seek the witchdoctor, but perhaps you might run to some other person. Anyone you turn to without first turning to the Lord could very well lead you the wrong direction. Satan can use even those we love to lead us away from the will of God. When Jesus told Peter he would be killed in Jerusalem, Peter said “This shall not happen to You!” Jesus replied: “Get behind Me, Satan! (Matthew 16:23). Peter had good intentions but was used by Satan to try to discourage Jesus from the cross! Take care to what or whom is trying to influence you.
Do you feel pressed at this time toward making some decision? Refuse to make that decision until you have taken the time to seek the Lord about the matter and have the peace of God.
